The Search for Flight 370: Turning off the Television

Amid the outpouring speculation and leads, I have come to realize that we should all do our best to disregard the flood of information regarding Flight 370. Don’t get me wrong; I am a highly curious individual that likes to find a solution for every mystery. However, in the case of a prolonged media campaign full of speculation and unreliable information, it is better to disregard the constant updates. Many of you  have already adopted such a method to cure the blues that inevitably follow similar events that a picked up by all forms of media. The larger media presence does a thorough job at bringing in analysts and experts. It seems as though a seed of a story can produce countless roots, expanding on the base of information. Constant coverage heightens the stress and anxiety levels felt by those who come in contact. Finally, some individuals have such a negative reaction that they begin exhibiting imitative or otherwise destructive behaviors as a response to such stress.

Let’s talk about the agenda of mass media. Our text defines a media agenda as the issues that are given substantial attention by a news agency (Schneider et al., 2012). Further, widespread coverage has the ability to set the public agenda, which in turn heavily calls upon governmental policies. It is also essential to remember that differing news agencies are in constant competition with one another for greater ratings, with hefty paychecks going to lead anchors with the top interviews.

Consumed by the details of recent current events, including the speculation surrounding Malaysian Flight 370, many will experience high levels of stress. A study conducted by U.C. Irvine in 2013 identified that an individual who spent six or more hours following the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings suffered greater amounts of acute stress than those who were actually present (but not physically harmed) at the marathon that day (Holman et al., 2103).  Anger is another emotion that can be inspired by viewing or listening to mass media reporting of tragic events. In a study meant to explore the emotional timeline of 9/11, the following revelation was made:

“In contrast to anxiety, anger never returned to its baseline level. Instead, anger accumulated over the course of the day and reached a level that was almost 10 times as high as at the start of September 11.” (Back et al., 2010)

When emotions are fresh, an alarming event has occurred, and no solution is in sight, many individuals exhibit negative behaviors as a response. Imitative behaviors come in response to news of a tragic events, especially acts of terrorism. A study conducted in Israel in 2004 concluded that within a 3-day timeframe there would be a dramatic spike in fatal car accidents. It suggested that these events may be terror induced suicides or simply a delayed reaction to the environmental trauma (Stecklov et al., 2004).

It is worth considering how much mass media coverage we are consuming daily. While updates concerning a missing plane or civil war might seem pertinent, consuming every detail may be hindering our health and feelings of contentment. News agencies are actively competing for ratings and work diligently to provide every angle in hopes of gaining more traffic to their station, website, or printed paper. Finally, the emotional stress of following tragic news has the ability to influence our behavior for the worse. I suggest that regardless of whatever new details are being reported today, we should switch off and engage in a more uplifting activity closer to home.

References:

Back, M. D., Eglof, B., & Küfner, C.P.A., (2010). The Emotional Timeline of September 11, 2001. Psychological Science, 21(10), 1417-1419.

doi: 10.1177/0956797610382124

Holman, A. E., Garfin, D. R., & Silver, R. C. (2013). Media’s role in broadcasting acute stress following the Boston Marathon bombings. PNAS.

doi: 10.1073/pnas.1316265110

Schneider, F.W., Gruman, J.A., & Coutts, L.M., (2012) . Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. London: Sage Publications.

Stecklov, G., Goldstein, J.R., & Fienberg, S.E. (2004). Terror Attacks Influence Driving Behavior in Israel. PNAS, 101(40), 14551-14556.

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